“No Sports Complex” lawn sign in Altadena (Photo – Janet Hunt)
In a message shared with the Poly community on October 8, 2024, by Alec Hudnut, Chair, Board of Trustees, and John Bracker, Head of School, Polytechnic School announced it is abandoning plans to build a sports complex in the Altadena foothills.
By News Desk
Below is the message in its entirety:
“Dear Poly Community,
We are writing to share important new information about Poly’s efforts to secure athletic facilities to drive our athletics programs forward.
In May, following our official project application to the County of Los Angeles for the PolyFields project in Altadena, we kicked off a new phase of intensive study of the site’s environmental conditions. This study brought new information to light. Ultimately, the site proved to be too complex. Infrastructure, engineering, and grading requirements drove the development costs to levels that were much higher than anticipated, and far beyond what we believe to be reasonable.
The Board recognized it was simply not responsible or prudent to continue pursuing a plan that would require such a high level of financial investment, particularly as Poly has many other important priorities for funding. As a result, Poly is officially withdrawing the land use application for the project.
At the same time, we remain fully committed to our goal of enhancing Poly’s athletic facilities, and sports and wellness programs. We are moving forward with a sense of urgency to identify other opportunities that are ideally closer to our campus. Our commitment includes addressing both short-term and long-term needs to ensure the continued growth and success of Poly athletics.
A special Board committee, co-chaired by Trustees Henry Choi P ’30, ’33 and Rosalina Cardenas P ’20, ’23, ’26, will lead a process to explore a variety of options, including a single site or a combination of smaller properties. We are also evaluating investments in our existing athletic facilities on campus.
Our experience with the Altadena site has been invaluable in guiding our future efforts. We greatly appreciate the time and insights shared over the past many months by members of the Poly community as well as many Altadena residents and community leaders. We are also deeply grateful to Joe Nuccio and his family, owners of the project site Poly explored, for their partnership throughout this process.
While the Altadena site did not materialize as a viable option, our commitment to securing quality athletic fields continues to be an important priority for the Board of Trustees and a vital component of Poly’s strategic vision. We pledge to continue keeping our Poly community informed on our progress as we launch this next chapter.
Alec Hudnut
Chair, Board of TrusteesJohn Bracker
Head of School
A reception by AltadenaWild is slated for Tuesday, October 8, at Cafe de Leche (2477 N. Lake Ave.) at 4:00 pm to unveil a hand-painted billboard supporting their cause of preservation. We reached out to AltadenaWild and they confirmed the reception is going as planned.
Altadena resident, Veronica Jones, stated the following: “Today, the Altadena community received the welcome news that Polytechnic had decided to no longer pursue a permit to construct a Sports Complex in the Altadena Foothills. This decision is a great relief to residents, many of whom have long expressed concerns over the safety and practicality of such a project. We are grateful that our voices have been heard and that this risky plan has been halted.” Jones added: “As we move forward, we hope that any future proposals for development in the area will prioritize the well-being and concerns of those who call this beautiful mountain region home.”
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